Abstrakt

The prevalence of clinically relevant obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in the general population was investigated for the first time in 1993 and was 2% in women and 4% in men. Meanwhile these data are outdated. Data from 2013 revealed an OSAS-prevalence in 13% of men and 6% of women. With increasing age and onset of postmenopausal status the prevalence of OSAS in women becomes comparable to that of males. However, compared to prevalence data, women are underrepresented in clinical sleep laboratories. The present overview deals with the potential reasons for clinical underrecognition of OSAS in women. The fact that OSAS-frequency is underestimated in women probably derives from atypical clinical symptoms, dominated by difficulties of initiating and maintaining sleep and by a depressive mood. There are several protecting mechanisms in women that prevent or postpone OSAS-development to higher age groups or until the onset of menopause. These factors include craniofacial morphology and function, gender-specific body-fat distribution and hormonal influences on ventilation and dilating muscles in the oropharynx. Physicians should be aware of the presence of OSAS in women and of their special feature.

Autoreninformation

Autoren

• M. Orth¹
• K. Rasche²

Abteilungen

• ¹ Medizinische Klinik III, Pneumologie, Pneumologische Onkologie, Allergologie, Schlaf- und Beatmungsmedizin, Theresienkrankenhaus und St. Hedwig Klinik GmbH, Mannheim,
• ² Bergisches Lungenzentrum, Klinik für Pneumologie, Allergologie, Schlaf- und Beatmungsmedizin, Universität Witten/Herdecke, HELIOS Universitätsklinikum Wuppertal

Adresse

Prof. Dr. Maritta Orth
Medizinische Klinik III
Pneumologie, Pneumologische Onkologie, Allergologie, Schlaf- und Beatmungsmedizin
Theresienkrankenhaus und St. Hedwig Klinik GmbH
Bassermannstraße 1
68150 Mannheim
Email: [email protected]

Citation